by N M Zoltack
Trying to see better, Rase inched forward. Unfortunately, at the same time, someone was walking behind him and shoved their elbow into Rase’s back, which shoved the boy forward straight into his pa.
Pa’s ale spilled, and he turned, most likely ready to snap at Rase. His gazed eyes blinked in shock.
“Rase?” he asked, slurring the name.
Rase scrambled back. “S-Sorry,” he mumbled, not wanting the men to realize his connection to his pa. There was a good chance Rase would receive a scolding for being disrespectful or even just for being there anyhow.
“Who is this?” the scarred man asked, standing, his beefy hands on the table.
“I…” Rase’s eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. His tongue felt too big for his mouth.
“He’s slackin’ is what he is,” a young female voice said.
Rase blinked in surprise as the girl with the too-big eyes marched over and seized Rase’s arm.
“I haven’t noticed him before,” the man next to the scarred man said.
“A good server isn’t seen, now, isn’t that right?” the girl asked. She smirked, her tiny lips almost disappearing. Her grip on Rase’s arm tightened, her hand shaking slightly.
“You ain’t a good server then, are you, Frieda?” the scarred man said with a laugh.
“Only because you drink more than everyone else here, Linton,” she said easily enough. “Now…” The girl glanced at Rase. “This one here is new and still learning the ropes, and if you want more ale, just give us a moment.”
“Your pa’s gonna hear about this if I don’t get more ale soon,” Linton said.
Rase cleared his throat. “Your tankard isn’t empty yet.”
Linton smirked, lifted his tankard with a smirk, drained it, and threw it at Rase. It whooshed over Rase’s pa’s shoulder and straight into Rase’s hands.
“Go on then, lad.” Linton nudged the men next to him as he sat back down.
Her grip tightening, Frieda led Rase all the way to the back, through a small opening he hadn’t noticed during his circling before, most likely because he had been focused on the crowd and not the walls. The kitchen was dark compared to the brightness of the well-lit tavern, but Rase could breathe easier here.
“Who are you, and why are you snooping around?” Frieda asked as she marched over to a barrel. Impatiently, she waved him over.
Feeling like a fool, Rase crossed over to her and handed the girl the tankard. She filled it and thrust it back to him.
“Well?” Frieda demanded, hands on hips. She pursed her lips. “Hmm. Adair knew you. You have his hair and eyes. Are you his son?”
Rase nodded. “Do you know of Maxene?”
Frieda blinked furiously. “You better get Linton his ale. If he figures out you’re Adair’s, he’s not gonna be happy, and then you’ll be in for a world of hurtin’. He’s not a good guy.”
“Not until you tell me about Maxene,” Rase said stubbornly. He lifted his chin defiantly.
Frieda huffed a sigh, grabbed two tankards from a shelf half-full of them, and filled them before turning to face him. “Why you want to know?”
“She’s friends with my sister. Leanne. Maxene’s been missing, and Leanne’s worried that…”
Frieda’s face immediately softened. “I’ll ask around for you, but you really should—”
Rase ducked out of there and carefully made his way back through the crowd to Linton. It wasn’t easy, and he spilled some of the ale more than once, but it remained mostly filled by the time he placed it on the table for Linton.
Pa made a point of not looking at Rase, and Rase did the same. For several hours, Rase ran back and forth filling tankards for Linton and the other men. From what he overheard, Pa seemed to not lose any money and even gained a little, and they all agreed to come out the next night.
Rase was exhausted by the time the men shuffled out of the tavern. The moon was nearly ready to swap places with the sun, and Rase hadn’t slept a wink.
“You’re gonna have to do better tomorrow,” Frieda said as she dunked some tankards into a huge basin filled with soapy water.
Rase gaped at her.
“I know why your pa comes around. He needs money. Wants to buy food, a new house. I don’t think it’ll happen. Your pa isn’t a good gambler. Never knows when to stop.”
“He did good tonight,” Rase protested.
“Because he had some ale. He doesn’t normally, can’t afford to. He shows what he has when he’s nervous, and unless he drinks, he’s nervous.” Frieda began to scrub a tankard with a rag.
Rase glanced around but couldn’t find a second one.
“Go through there,” Frieda said, nodding toward a door behind Rase. “Tell Osgar I said to let you have your fill. Then sleep and come back tonight. It might take me a few days to learn about Maxene for you, and I figure you want to keep an eye on your pa.”
“Two.”
Frieda gaped at him.
“Two eyes,” Rase said lamely. “Ah, thank you.”
She blinked at him a few times. “You never did tell me your name.”
“Oh. It’s Rase.”
“Well, Rase, you earned the food.” Frieda shrugged and washed the tankard a little harder.
The food was just leftovers at this point since nearly everyone had left the tavern by now. The pottage was barely warm, but Osgar, a portly man with an easy smile, gave Rase a second helping without prompting.
“I saw you helping Frieda, and you need meat on them bones of yours,” Osgar said. “Eat up. We ran outta stew tonight. Surely ya saw it in the trenches. I’ll have more tomorrow. Hopefully with more meat and ‘tatoes.”
Rase grinned.
“You’ll be back?”
Rase was too busy shoveling food in his mouth to answer verbally, so he just nodded.
Osgar laughed and clapped him on the back. “Good, good.”
Only the next night turned out to be anything but good.
23
Prince Noll Rivera
Today, Noll wasn’t playing with Bates. He wasn’t playing with anyone. For once, he was sad and depressed. He had sneaked out to Atlan. Not the marketplace but beyond, to the actual city. He had seen so many people and their small houses. He had seen so many children, all laughing and playing. Well, most of them. A few were helping with chores, but Noll was certain they would be playing too once they had finished. Playing was what kids did best.
But what had him all depressed was the sheer number of dogs he saw. He even saw the cutest little puppy. Just a bundle of fur really.
Noll loved Bates. Noll did, and he always would, but he still wanted a dog.
Maybe since his father had been married for a week, he would be in a good mood.
Noll didn’t know what to think of the would-be new queen. Queen Sabine. It felt weird that his father had married someone so young. Aldith had only been four years younger than the king. At least, that was what Noll thought was the case. He was pretty sure Vivian had told him that at one point.
Throughout Atlan, so many people spoke about Sabine. None of them spoke about his father. They all talked about how beautiful she was. Noll didn’t disagree, but he didn’t think she was that much more beautiful than his sisters. They were all lovely. Noll found himself staring at the would-be queen, and he wasn’t sure why. Staring was rude. Whenever Vivian would see him staring at anyone, she would slap him and tell him to stop. When she saw him staring at Sabine, she seemed to be even more angry. Noll didn’t understand that at all.
His mind made up, Noll rushed back to the castle. His legs were strong. He had always been a fast runner. His arms were weak, though. Maybe that was some of the reason why no one would give him a sword. Still, all princes should learn how to wield one. Noll was sure of it. Maybe he should ask Sabine about that. She seemed to want to make sure that everyone was happy. Yes, Noll would do that but only after Noll got a dog. Dog first, then sword. And then, maybe, just maybe, learning how to jump with a horse. The t
hought of that still terrified him, but Noll shouldn’t be so easily scared. Vivian could jump with a horse, and she would be sitting with her legs to one side! Could Rosalynne jump too? Maybe. Noll wasn’t sure. He had witnessed Vivian jump but not his older sister. She didn’t ride horses that often, but he knew that she could. She was a better rider than he was.
Noll dashed across the drawbridge. A few of the people entering the castle whispered to each other that he was the prince. One of the children said that couldn’t be because his trousers were dirty.
Once inside the castle, Noll hesitated. That boy was right. Noll must’ve run through mud. His father would never agree to letting him have a dog if he thought the prince couldn’t even take care of his clothes.
Instead of heading straight for his father’s quarters, Noll went to his room. His servant wasn’t there, but Noll managed to undress and change his clothes by himself. Sometimes, Noll’s fingers wouldn’t always cooperate, but he forced them to do his bidding. He was a prince after all. He should be able to dress himself. It was absurd how thrilled he was to have accomplished this goal. Maybe his father would be in an agreeable mood, and soon, Noll would finally have his dog.
That morning, their father had stayed in his quarters to eat. Noll had been disappointed. Lately, his father had been joining them more and more to break their fasts together. This would be the first time Noll would see his father that day.
Noll struggled to suppress his nervousness, his worry, his doubts and fears. A dog wasn’t that important, he tried to tell himself. He wouldn’t throw a fit if his father said no. Noll would act like a prince through and through. He would. At least, he hoped he would.
The guards nodded to Noll, but they didn’t move to open his father’s doors for him. Noll grabbed the gigantic iron handle and yanked and dragged and yanked and dragged. Gradually, the door creaked open just enough for Noll to slip inside.
His father’s settee had been shifted so that he could gaze out the window. His father did not look Noll’s way as he approached.
“How are you this fine morning?” Noll asked.
His father grunted.
Noll’s heart sank. His father wasn’t in a good mood after all. His father’s face seemed a little yellow to Noll. The lines and folds and even wrinkles around his father’s lips seemed to drag downward more than ever before. His father seemed to be a bit unwell.
The soft whisper of fabric had Noll realizing that the two of them were not alone. In a chair off to the side sat Rosalynne. Her lips were pinched, making her look older than her eighteen years. She was also staring out the window, not paying Noll or their father any attention.
“Do you need anything?” Noll asked the king.
“You are a prince. You aren’t a servant. I can have anyone fetch me what I need.”
“Yes,” Noll said timidly, “but I love you, and if you need anything, I would be happy to get it for you.”
“What do you want?” his father asked wearily.
“A dog,” Noll blurted out.
He winced. He hadn’t meant to come out so directly like that.
“It doesn’t have to be a puppy. Any dog would do. I would take him for walks every day. I would find him food. I’ll make sure he never goes into the kitchens. I’ll take care of him. Really, I would. It would be no trouble at all. You’ll see. A dog is just what this castle needs.”
The king sighed. He seemed to want to lift his arm, but he hardly did. “Very well.”
Noll gaped at him, shocked. “Are you certain?” he inquired and then hated himself for asking.
“Yes. Bring one of your sisters with you or a guard. You may go and find one.”
“Oh, thank you, Father!”
Impulsively, Noll hugged his father, something Noll hadn’t done in years. His father either couldn’t lift his arms or was too slow to return the hug because Noll was already bouncing back.
“Thank you! Thank you!” Noll clapped his hands.
“Stop that,” the king snapped. “You are too old for that.”
Chastised, Noll stopped. “You are too old for that” was a phrase that Noll heard far too often. He didn’t understand why something as simple as clapping because one was happy was not a good thing. He often didn’t understand why people would say that to him for trivial little things. All Noll longed for was to be happy. Now, he was. A baby and a dog! Maybe he wouldn’t even bother with the sword after all!
Bates. Noll hadn’t seen the baby yet that day.
Noll cleared his throat. “Before I leave to get my dog…”
He hesitated. Saying that was a dream come true. It didn’t feel real yet. Noll suspected that would be the case until he could cuddle and sleep with his dog that night.
“Before I leave to get my dog, I was going to see if Bates is awake,” Noll said. “Do you want to spend some time with him?”
“No,” his father said so sourly that Noll was afraid his father would change his mind about the dog.
Noll swallowed hard. He hated that he never saw the king with the baby. It made him worry that his father hated Bates. That was ridiculous, but there were times when his father could be particularly cruel to Vivian too. Noll had heard that Vivian had killed their mother, but Noll didn’t believe that. Vivian could never kill anyone. She was even more of a princess than Rosalynne was. Vivian was a princess through and through, and everyone knew that princesses weren’t killers.
Maybe the king was upset that Aldith had died near when the baby had been born. Noll hadn’t thought that the king liked Aldith at the end, but maybe he had. Sometimes, people didn’t always say what they meant. Noll was beginning to understand that more and more. A lot of times, people would say something to him and then laugh. Noll knew that was one sign that they were not being truthful.
How could his father hate a baby? Bates was innocent. He was so cute and sweet. Noll thought Bates was almost four months old now. Maybe. Noll wasn’t the best with numbers, so he could be wrong.
For some reason, Noll had to blink back tears. He was that upset that the king was refusing to spend any time with the baby.
Noll couldn’t nod. He couldn’t bow. He couldn’t do anything except jerk around and stomp out of the room. He tried his best not to stomp, but he couldn’t help it.
He rushed out of the king’s quarters and ran down the hall.
“Noll!” Rosalynne cried.
He didn’t want to stop running. He didn’t want to talk to her. He didn’t want to talk to anybody.
But he was a good brother. He stood there, his back to her, and waited for her to approach.
His older sister touched his arm. “Noll,” she said in her soft, commanding voice that he was beginning to hate. He thought of it as her queen voice, and she wasn’t queen yet. She shouldn’t be treating herself as if she were better than him.
“Rosalynne,” he muttered without looking at her. He was staring straight ahead at the stone wall.
“You shouldn’t press Father about the baby.”
“Why can’t I? Why doesn’t Father want to see and hold and play with Bates?” Noll didn’t understand. He couldn’t.
“Please. It is for the best.”
Noll just shook his head. He didn’t understand that at all. Not even a little bit.
Rosalynne patted Noll’s shoulder and walked away. Maybe she was heading back to Father’s quarters. Maybe not. Noll didn’t care.
The worst part of all was that Noll almost didn’t want to have a dog anymore. In fact, he was even contemplating running away. Why would he want to stay in a place filled with so many miserable people? Most of the peasants seemed so happy, especially the children. That was what Noll wanted. To be happy. He also wanted his father to be happy, but maybe some people just couldn’t be.
24
Princess Rosalynne Rivera
The expression on Noll’s face haunted Rosalynne. She knew her brother loved the baby with every ounce that his heart could muster. Likewise, she knew that her
father hated the baby just as much.
As for herself, Rosalynne hadn’t thought much about the baby either way. Bates. What had made her settle on that name? The poor boy would be known by that name for the rest of his life, and she had thrown it out on a whim. How terrible of her that she hadn’t given it more thought, but everything had been so chaotic. Aldith had died, and the baby had no name. Her father wouldn’t have bothered to, and so, she had stepped up. Again. How many times had she done his duty for him? Far too many but perhaps she shouldn’t resent him. He had lived through two wives, one whom he had loved dearly and one whom he had hated dearly.
Rosalynne had only been three when Vivian had been born. She had only a few memories of her mother. Maybe they weren’t even memories after all but dreams. Rosalynne knew better than to ask her father if they had been real. For the most part, all she could recall was that her mother had been a bundle of peace and happiness. Rosalynne remembered being picked up in her arms after she had fallen and tripped and torn her dress. Her mother had wiped Rosalynne’s tears away with her mother’s hair. It had tickled, and Rosalynne had laughed.
It was that bundle of peace and happiness that most stayed with Rosalynne. She wanted more than anything to be that same source of peace and happiness to all of Tenoch Proper when she was queen, but Rosalynne had no idea how to do that. Perhaps that goal was far too lofty, but would it not be better to strive for something wonderful if unobtainable than to set the goal too low and achieve it and never advance?
Out of the siblings, Noll had latched onto the baby Bates the most. Rosalynne had seen Vivian with the baby a few times. For the most part, Rosalynne had only held Bates a few times after the day he had been born. Maybe she should go and see him. It was possible Noll had gone to see the baby, given that Bates was clearly on her brother’s mind. Perhaps him seeing her with the baby would help to assuage his worries and anger toward their father.
She should spend time with the baby. After all, one day, she would have a child or even children of her own. As the future queen, that was expected of her, and she would do her duty as she must. Honestly, Rosalynne might not have children if she could make the choice for herself. Alas, that was not to be the case.